bellejolie

Hi all, Wondering if people can comment on their experiences on at home vs. at prometric centre for test taking for CFPC exam? Ours is coming up and wanted to know about the issues. Per the CFPC, there were more issues with at prometric sites than at home given prometric has antiquated tech but wanted to see how things went last year. Thanks!

Seems like for FM it’s a transition towards FHO model like Ontario. Which are paid well and provide more physician satisfaction. Here’s a link to an article: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8589129/?fbclid=IwAR3r2ArD8VrJvJXC1bwqJrBud3vIn2aQ3IJ5WHaAbAQCYtBAaxfs0mYFzOo as long as they include incentives that involve complexity/vulnerable patients and remuneration that accounts for that, it allows people to take more time with patients, and have other care providers also be involved without changing the amount of money the doctor makes. In addition less admin work for clinical providers sounds nice to me.

Generally no. But doesn’t hurt you really but unlikely you’ll match to them.

Ah ok for that you’ll need to talk to the residents likely. Good luck! Glad this helped a bit at least.

Agree talk to the residents for sure. Some programs seem super great from interviews but the actual resident experience is what matters. I would also think about jobs, since nuc med doesn’t have a ton of prospects you want to make sure you’re going to be employable.

It actually is published - there is data available under CaRMS reports. Under the FM-ES link. It might help you see more or at least provide some analysis and data on who matches.

I actually had a great experience in OB at mcgill and was treated super well by the staff and residents. Despite that, I’ve heard extremely problematic things about surgery and OB at mcgill. This was stuff I had heard from many residents who have/are going through the program or who recently graduated (I’m was an older student so I’ve known many OB residents over the years). perhaps things have changed and improved, but in general the surgery culture at mcgill is that preceptors are more hands off. The caseroom is entirely resident run as are most services when it comes to surgery. Im glad you’re having a good experience but from the approximately 6-7 OB residents I’ve spoken to who are currently in the program there are issues. I also have friends from OB programs at other schools who know Mcgill’s reputation well. That’s not to say there aren’t good things about it or that other OB programs across the countries don’t also have their issues it’s just that it seems mcgills own residents know it’s a particularly problematic program. again I’m well aware I’m not a resident in the program but I did have a great experience when I rotated through so despite my positive experience I’ve heard from a big portion of residents that there are issues (e.g. staff not covering when residents aren’t available and instead asking other residents who are already stretched so thin to do so). It seems the issue is the call/culture and staff being less involved in coverage than at other schools. It is a mcgill wide problem though I’ll give you that.

Online Meded is excellent. I still use it as a resident.

Hey! I’m from mcgill and love Montreal but my colleagues from out of province often comment on the inefficiencies of our system. When you come from systems where EMR is streamlined and just everything is much much more efficient it can be really frustrating. I think Mcgill’s FM program definitely trains you well, and obviously you know French if you’re applying to Gatineau but I’ve also heard excellent things about UBC! If I could’ve moved and was ok leaving the city UBC would’ve been my first choice. The cities were how i really based my ranking, not the programs as much. I wanted to be around my friends/family etc

All I know is for Quebec schools u de M >>> mcgill. And being a mcgill grad having gone through it I think Its probably one of the worst OB programs in the country. Very little support, extremely service heavy and their residents are all super miserable (and therefore not very nice, some are great obviously there are exceptions but generally the cycle of toxicity just is awful). OB is tough anywhere from the things I’ve heard but particularly bad at mcgill! And they’ve just decreased spots over the years so coverage is often a problem and the staff do nothing in terms of work/coverage. However I’m not an OB resident can only just comment on what I’ve heard from them and my experience rotating through. The staff treated me as a med student very nicely but I know the residents were very burnt out.

I don’t know, I have colleagues who came from Ontario for FM residency here and are not happy for multiple reasons. Again my post was specific to family medicine, I think specialty practice in Quebec has less of a difference. i agree EMRs are not the only reason you should pick a program but coming from Ontario and having a much more streamlined system it makes a big diff from what I’ve heard. Additionally in general mcgill is much more service heavy. For English speaking applicants mcgill is the only option and if you can and want to stay in Ontario I think those programs are generally better. U de M ive heard much better things about support wise but again French speaking. EMR may not seem like a big thing for Residency but many staff ive spoken to have emphasized it’s extremely important when choosing a clinic or job offer. It can make you either much more efficient or slow you down which ultimately impacts billing. In addition Ontario is generally completely paperless, there’s no paper charting of any sort anywhere so it’s much easier to understand consults, daily notes etc. Anyone from Quebec that I know has left has found the actual practice of medicine much easier in other provinces. Finally since you tend to settle where you do residency, if you are equally ok with both Ontario and Quebec, for family medicine in particular, most will recommend Ontario hands down. The culture is way less restrictive for practicing family medicine (no prem system) and the laws don’t attack family docs the way they do in Quebec. I just love mtl and that’s why it’s hard to leave.

Absolutely. Ontario has much better EMRs, and just streamlined practices. No issues with language and less bureaucracy compared to Quebec. So many forms, paperwork etc cuz so many places are still paper based. And if they’re not they use 4 different eMRs in one hospital (y’all know which I’m talking about). As soon as you go outside Montreal there is no EMR and everything is still paper based. If you want to practice in Ontario, do residency in Ontario - better connections, you get the hang of things more so there and can start building your life. i chose Québec for Montréal. Fav city and the best IMO in Canada for life. Can’t beat it and that’s the one redeeming quality. Lower cost of living, great quality of life (no 24 hour call). Amazing restaurants, nightlife etc. Can’t imagine myself anywhere else despite the headaches that come with practicing medicine here and the potholes I drive over everyday. Also most socially progressive policies which make it great for raising a family. Schools and daycares are more affordable, everything is generally cheaper. But the healthcare system is really falling apart so it depends what your goals are. it’s always advised to do residency where you see yourself practicing. That being said FM is in demand everywhere so you can have your choice.

Not stirring the pot at all! I do agree some of the realities of FM can be tedious for some and my resident colleagues often complain of these things but I personally am ok with it and enjoy it for the most part. I’ve always been highly organized and good with admin. I love the long term relationship with patients. I enjoy addictions and some of the more challenging cases. I love having a diverse practice. But of course like in any specialty there are things I don’t like - i have patients who can be extremely entitled to my time and think I can just call them back at any point in the day, and specialist colleagues who always refer back to us for things (this whole re consult thing happened to me in peds and I made sure to put in the second consult the doctor specifically required a second consult for a second issue and refused to follow up with the patient on their own even though timing was was less than a few weeks). i just feel like we need to transition to salary mode and many of the issues we face as doctors would really not be a thing. But I guess we’d risk being “less efficient” by government standards since we’d be less motivated to see more patients? I don’t know but this idea of billing i really am starting to hate it and feel it’s quite a flawed system.

Ah ok your initial statement made it seem like the primary driver was compensation and not the “true passion”. I’m not sure how much it is, and it will vary by province. If you enjoy the practice and have had good exposure then yes go for it. Whether it’s worth the fellowship it depends on what your interests are. I don’t know any physicians in Quebec who have a fellowship and they’re all practicing just fine and billing great so hope that helps. A fellowship makes more sense If you want to do more hospitalist, see complex patients, work on service and make it a larger amount of your practice. But you will be able to practice it without the fellowship as well as others have said the need is great. More academic/hospitalist with it. If you like anesthesia also a viable option and much needed. Obviously anesthesia comes with an easier patient population depending on what you’re doing.

So as someone who is interested in addictions not for money, I would really recommend you don’t do it for money? The patient population is extremely challenging, and requires physicians and caregivers who are empathetic and able to handle the multiple psychiatric co morbidities that come with the practice. I’m drained every time I do it but I really enjoy it (I find the therapeutics very interesting and I have always enjoyed psych, motivational interviewing etc) and the impact you have on the people you’re helping but the emotional ups and downs with your patients is exhausting. I could never do it full full time and definitely envision a practice for myself that involves well babies. I just need the babies to balance the addiction patients. Can’t survive mentally otherwise. if you want to make money purely don’t do addictions. Do your anesthesia go into pain medicine/or ER. Addictions is for people who genuinely can handle it because it’s extremely emotionally exhausting (but rewarding if you like helping vulnerable folks) and it seems like money is your driver.